Railway-crossing signal



Apr. 10, 1923. I v r v 1,451,186

7 Y E. H. STALEY'ET AL RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL Filed Sept 12, 1922 Irzverztar Patented Apr. 10, 1923.

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EDWIN H. STALEY, OF BURT, AND GHAUNGY I. MANSIVIITH, OF ALGONA, IOWA. l

RAILWAY-CROSSING SIGNAL.

Application filed September 12, 1922- Serial No. 587,648.

1 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWIN H. STALEY and OHAUNCY I. MANSMITH, citizens of the United States, and residents of Burt and 6 Algona, respectively, in the county of Kossuth, State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Railway-Crossing Signal, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide 0 a railway crossing signal of simple, durable and inexpensive construction that may be constructed without the use of expensive machinery, and by the use of materials readily'obtainable in almost any community.

A further object is to provide a railway crossing signal in which when a train approaches the crossing from either direction it will, when at a certain predetermined distance from the crossing, automatically set a signal to act as a warning to trains approaching the crossing; and

Further to automatically reset the switch to normal position when the train is at the crossing.

A further object is to provide a device of this class in which none of the parts of the operating device will be in any way injured or afiected by the movement of the train in any direction; and

Further to provide a device of this class in which the movement imparted to the op erating mechanism by the train will be slow and gradual, to thereby avoid excessive shocks and jars to the operating device.

Our invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims,

and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a railway crossing having our improved signal device applied thereto.

igure 2 shows a vertical sectlonal view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure-4 shows an enlarged sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 shows a sectional View on the line 5-5 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 shows a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

we have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the rails of a railway track mounted upon the ties 11, and 12 indicates the rails of a cross track. r

The signal proper comprises a. stationary 30 support 13, in which is rotatively mounted a vertical shaft 14. At the top ofthe vertical shaft is the signal device 15 of any ordinary construction. In the lower endportion of the shaft 14 is a circular metal plate 16 fixed to rotate with the shaft 14, and prov vided at one side with shoulders 17 to. be engiaged by a stationary pin 18 to thereby limit the rotary movement of the plate 16.

On one edge of the plate 16 there is a notch 19, and a pawl 20 isprovided to engage said notch, which pawl is provided with a spring 21 for normally holding it toward the edge of the plate 16. There is also provided a rod 22 connected to the pawl whereby it may be withdrawn from the notch.

Connected to one side of the center of the plate 16 is a contractile coil spring 23 so arranged as to normally hold the plate 16 to one limit of its movement, and on the oppo- I site side of the center of the plate 16 is a rod 24 which, when pulled, will tend to rotate the plate 16 in opposition to the pull ofthe spring 23. This rod 24 is slidingly mounted in a pin 25, which pin extends through the plate 16 and has a head 26 below the plate so that the pin is free to rotate relative to the plate, as shown in Figure 6. I Mounted adjacent to the end of the rod 24 is a crank shaft 27 having a crank arm 28 at one end connected to the rod 24, and a crank 29 at the other end connected to a rod 30. This rod 30 is extended to a an siderable distance along the side of the rails 10 in a direction away from the crossroads, and its outer end is pivoted to a bell"crank a, lever 31. A spring 32 is connected to the bell crank lever 31 to pull the rod. 30 inc. direction away from the signal device. At tached to the otherend of the bell crank lever 31 is a rod 33 which extends under the rail toward the centerv of the track. Our improved device for actuating the rod 33 upon the approach of a train toward the cross tracks, and for permitting it to stand '105 still when the train is moving in an opposite direction, is as follows:

The reference numeral 34 indicates an actuating bar preferably mounted between the rails and extended substantialy longitudif nally of the rails. This bar is provided at one nd, as shoyvn in Eigumt, With a lateral extensifojn"35 'slidingly supported andhaving an uptii'rned end 36. Fixed in position adacent to the part 35 is a bracket 27 in which is molint'ed. a rdd3 8, which rod slid-ingly extends through the upright 36, and an extensible coil spring 29 is mounted on said rod.

By means of this arrangement it is ohvi ous that the spring 89 nornially holds the actuating, bar 34 to its limit of movement dj t'e' it? s at a a 'y' b'r e 7; u tliat when "pressure is applied to the side of position, as shown y solid lines in Figure 1, it arrange on a has slightly divergent froin th e longitudinal line parallel to the track, but its nd that is, nearest the cross att-be mr dla e ally be i sit on s by dottef dlines in Figure 1, and when ,d a pull will be e gerted on the rod 30 pull will be, tuin transmitted to th'e i og 34-, which will cause the plate 16 b e p apt d; v v

actiiati ng th 3,3 34 we preferably M t ieew at ier 43 0i 21 ees i ive 0 o i ny 'sii itab le part a railway train. This or; engage weeds or other th ngs on the railway trackfi lt is so positioned relative to 40 th actuatingbiar34 that when a train is 'apprjjg the cross tracl s,asshown at the eam t f Bette, this. te ll en a the'right' side of the actuating bar 34, and then asfthe train progresses the actuating shown by dotted. line'sat the bottoin Q t, ure when, however, the, actuating lug 42 is inoved injt h e opposite direction, that isto say, awayi'trdni the cross tracks, then the nponl approaching the actuating bar 34 will bein the position indicated by dotted lin s a th jhg tq hf Ei are 1, and itwill engage th: left side of the actuating as shown and cause the upper, end of the bar, as sfh'ownfiasattt name; to, have toward the right, as illustrated in dotted; lines opposition to the pring 39 so that the lug may e; pas h ats he a tua ng ba an Over the part. theireot so that duringsu'ch mdv inent the rod 33 will notbe actuated and, the actuatinghar 34 will not be in any way injured. i

It is desirable, that upon the train reaching-[a point adjacent to the cross tracks, the sw telrHeyice will be reset to: normal; posihar"3.4"wi11 beswung toward the left, as.

tion, and for accomplishing this purpose we have provided two metal bars. 44 hinged together at their central portions at 45, and each provided at its outer end with a slot 46. Stationary pins 47 are extended through these slots to form guides. Connected'to the adjacent ends of the bars 44 is the rod 22 connected to the pawl 20. When the pawl 20 is in the notch 19, then the bars 44 will assunie the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1. Then when the train approaches these bars from either direction, the lug); 42. thereof will assume the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, adjacent to the said bars 44, andthis lug. 42, will slidingly engage the face of the adjacent one of the bars 44 and move it toward the left, thus withdnawing the pawl 20 from the notch and permitting the spring 28 to actuate the signal. It the pawl is, not in the notch, then the lug 42 may pass by without engaging the barsv 44.

Vie have also provided an electric signal device for actuating a signal light as, 01 lows:

A stationary contact point 48 is provided on the signal device, and on the upright shaft 14 adjacent theretois a coacting, contact point 49, so that when the signal device is actuated in one direction, these contact points will engage, and when the signaldevice is actuated in the opposite direction they will disengage,

l/Ve have illustrated conventionally in Figure 3, h etri v me -t comprisin a battery 50 and a signal lamp 5 1, with the contact points 48 and 49 included in the cincuit.

In practical use it is obvious that all of-the parts of the device are simple ant linenpensive construction. We preferably, locate theactuating lugs 42 near the center of the cow catcher, although it is obvious it could be located in other positions.

Assuming; that a train approached the cross tracks. from the position indicated by the cow catcher at the bottom of Figure 1;, i

then the actuating lug 42 will engage the long actuatinghar 34 and slide along it. and push the bar 34 toward the left. will cause a slight but positive action causing, the bell crank lever 31 to pull upon the rod; 3011} thereby o t f k ha t 2 nd pul t me the rod 24. This swings the plate 16 to position for setting the signal for, the cross tracks. These movements are all; ppsitive, but will be relatively slow and; there be sufiicient power applied to positively actuate the rod 30, even though it is, of considerable length.

When the signal device has thus, been moved to position, the pawl 2Q will enter. the notch 19, and this, will lock the signal device in its position. lVhen the train reaches. the cross tracks, the bars 44 will be actuated to release the pawl 20, and to permit the spring 23 to return the signal device to its normal position, and then when the train passes beyond the cross tracks, the actuating lug 4:2 will'move the actuating bar 34, as shown by dotted lines at the top of Figure 1, but this movement will not impart any motion to the signal device.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an improved railway crossing signal, the combination of a signal device, a. rod extended substantially parallel with the railway track and connected with the signal device when a pull is exerted upon it, a signal actuating bar adjacent to the railway track and normally extended in a direction slightly clivergent from a position parallel with the rails, one end being pivotally supported, the other end being free to swing laterally, means whereby the lateral movement of the free end of the actuating bar will exert a pull on said rod, and means for yieldingly supporting the pivoted end of the actuating bar to permit lateral movement thereof, and an actuating lug designed to be attached to a train for engagement with the actuating bar.

2. In an improved railway crossing signal, the combination of a signal device, a rod extended, substantially parallel. with the railway track and connected with the signal device when a pull is exerted upon it, a signal actuating bar adjacent to the railway track and normally extended in a direction slightly divergent from a position parallel with the rails, one end being pivotally supported, and the other end being free to swing laterally, means whereby the lateral movement of the free end ot' -the actuating bar will exert a pull on said rod, means for yieldingly supporting the pivoted end of the actuating bar to permit lateral movement thereof, an actuating lug designed to be attached to a train for engagement with the actuating bar, spring actuated means for normally returning the signal'device to normal position, a spring actuated pawl for looking it in normal position, two actuating bars pivoted at their adjacent ends and slidingly supported at their outer ends, and means for connecting their inner ends to said pawl, for the purpose stated.

3. Inia device of the class described, an ac tuating bar formed with a lateral extension at one end, a stationary bracket and a spring device for normally holding the actuating bar against the stationary bracket, being capable of permitting it" to be moved laterally away-from the stationary bracket, and

stationary bar to the bracket, said barbeing normally extended in a direction slightly divergent from a'line parallel with the rails of a track, and means connected to the free end of the actuating bar for exerting a pull on a signal operating rod, for the purposes stated. 1 p

4. In a device of the class described, an acalso forming a pivotal connection for the i tuating bar formedwith a lateral extension I at one end, a stationary bracket and a. spring device for formally holding the actuating bar against the stationary bracket, being capable of permitting it to be moved latorally away from the stationary bracket,

and also forming a pivotal connection for the stationary bar to the bracket, said bar being normally extended in a direction slightly divergent from a lineparallel with the rails of a track, means connected to the free end of the actuating bar for exerting a pull on a signal operating rod, said means comprising a segmental arm on the actuat ing bar for the stationary bracket through which the segmental arm is slidingly ex- CHAUNOY I. MANSMITH. 

